Canada Joins List of Apartheid States

Who else is on this list? Israel.

Who wrote this list? Queers Against Israeli Apartheid.

On Canada Day, July 1, here are the instructions that QuAIA was giving to supporters who wanted to help the group participate in Sunday’s Gay Pride parade:

“Thursday, July 1, 2010 at Noon: Instead of celebrating this colonial country (which the apartheid state of South Africa was modeled after), come hang out with us and help prepare for Sunday. We’ll provide materials, but if you can contribute paint, brushes, placards, etc. we’ll take em! Email keli.bellaire@gmail.com for the address.”

(This posting was on the QuAIA web site as late as Saturday July 3 — though I would not be surprised if it got taken off soon.)

It's too bad the martyrs for human rights at QuAIA had the unfortunate chance of being born in Canada, instead of a more liberal and accepting society like Iran. Luck of the draw, I guess.

SMW has already written extensively about the corporate sponsors who funded this event - despite organizers reversing an earlier decision and allowing anti-Israel groups to participate. We did receive responses from TD Canada Trust and Bud Light, both of whom stated they were "proud" to sponsor this "political" event.